Preselector for the tonal control elements of an organ



Sheet of 7 June 17, 1969 o. w. sEPP, JR

PRESELECTOR FOR THE TONAL CONTROL ELEMENTS OF AN ORGAN Original Filed Feb. 14, 1963 INVENTOR 050m M55 5 1e.

. ATTORNEYS June 17, 1969 o. w. SEPP, JR 3,449,995

PRESELECTOR FOR THE TONAL CONTROL ELEMENTS OF AN ORGAN Original Filed Feb. 14, 1963 Sheet 2 of 7 F6 789|0M|215 I L a N T I Q0 1 \1 2 I m I V M Q Us :5

- NVENTOR 056A $5, 19 flegj QMQO'Q ATTORNEYS June 17, 1969 o. w. SEPP, JR

PRESELECTOR FOR THE TONAL CONTROL ELEMENTS OF AN ORGAN Shet Original Filed Feb. 14, 1963 INVENTOR 05019 n. SEPP, 7e.

June 17, 1969 o. w. SEPP, JR 3,449,995

PRESELECTOR FOR THE TONAL CONTROL ELEMENTS OF AN ORGAN Original Filed Feb. '14, 1963 Sheet 4 of '7 I INVENTOR OSCAR MK 55 p, J BY 9 ATTORNEYS June 17, 1969 o. w. SEPP, JR

PRESELECTOR FOR THE TONAL CONTROL ELEMENTS OF AN ORGAN Original Filed Feb. 14, 1963 Sheet INVENTOR 050%? W. SEPP/ JP,

BY h r f j fi'TOIZNEYS June 17, 1969 o. w. SEPP, JR

PRESELECTOR FOR THE TONAL CONTROL ELEMENTS OF AN ORGAN Original Filed Feb. 14, 1963 Sheet of 7 ATTORNEYS June 17, 1969 I o. w. SEPP, JR 3,449,995

PRESELECTOR FOR THE TONAL CONTROL ELEMENTS OF AN ORGAN W Ill ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,449,995 PRESELECTOR FOR THE TONAL CONTROL ELEMENTS OF AN ORGAN Oscar W. Sepp, Jr., Merrick, N.Y., assignor to M. Steinthal & Co., Inc., New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Original application Feb. 14, 1963, Ser. No. 258,450, now Patent No. 3,250,168, dated May 10, 1966. Divided and this application Feb. 17, 1966, Ser. No. 528,242

Int. 'Cl. Gb 3/10 US. Cl. 84345 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The invention relates to an organ and a master control record having selector configurations by which tonal control stops may be selected, these configurations being susceptible to sensing operations, as for example, on electric switches, for automatic selection of stops. In accordance with one phase of the invention, the stops are of the type movable from inactive position to two or more active positions, each determining a different quality of tone reproduction by the playing of a key. A master record for that purpose is provided with configurations coordinately located to select stops and their active positions. The card is to be inserted into a recess provided in the organ until the rear edge contacts and closes a normally open switch, thereby closing the circuit and causing the desired selection to be made. When the card is withdrawn, the circuit is de-energized without disturbing the selected positions of the stops.

The present invention relates to a mechanism for mechanically moving a series of tonal control stops or elements in an organ into preselected positions in response to a master control. The application is a division of application Ser. No. 258,450, now Patent No. 3,250,168, filed Feb. 14, 1963.

A conventional form of organ contains an upper manual for the melody ordinarily played with the right hand, a lower manual used for the accompaniment and for the counter-melody ordinarily played with the left hand and a series of movable tonal stops or elements, which are set up in the organ for the playing of many tonal and instrumental effects on both manuals. These tonal control stops or elements in a conventional form of organ comprise a bank of drawbars, which mainly set up the harmonic tone colors for the two manuals, and each of which is settable in any one of a number of posi-' tions, and a set of tiltable control tablets for imparting expression and variety of color to the music played.

Before playing each musical number, it is necessary to preset the many control stops or elements manually in accordance with the tonal quality or style desired or re quired. The selection is made in accordance with a preselected registration on the sheet music, or may follow a pattern or schedule determined by the player. This manual setting operation is time-consuming and tiring, especially to a non-professional performer and because of the many stops or control elements involved, is confusing and may lead easily to misdirection in making the proper selections.

One object of the present invention is to provide new and improved means by which the settings of the tonal control stops or elements in an organ can be preselected easily, accurately, quickly and expeditiously.

Another object of the present invention is to provide new and improved means by which the setting of the tonal control stops or elements in an organ can be automatically made while permitting these control elements to be manually and individually set, if desired, before or after automatic preselection.

A further object of the present invention is to provide new and improved means by which the tonal control stops or elements in an organ can be automatically brought quickly to an initial reset position in response to the actuation of a reset control member.

In accordance with certain features of the present invention, a reset control member is provided, which when actuated, brings all of the tonal control stops or elements into initial reset position in preparation for automatic or manual preselection.

In accordance with other features of the present invention a master control member desirably in the form of an index card is provided with a pattern or schedule of selector configurations corresponding to a particular musical number and the organ has a receptacle to receive this card. This index card is small for convenient handling and may be removably attached to/or contained in a pocket in the music sheet sold or may be prepared by a player in accordance with a suitable pattern he has determined. The tonal control stops or elements are automatically set by the index card in accordance with the pattern of selector configurations thereon when the card is inserted into the organ receptacle.

As another feature of the present invention, the system for automatically actuating the tonal control stops or elements into preselected positions, does not interfere with the manual setting of these stops or elements, either before or after automatic selection.

Various other objects, features and advantages of the present invention are apparent from the following description and from the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective showing the console of a conventional electric organ to which the features of the present invention are shown applied for purposes of illustration;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view partly in horizontal section of the front control panel section of the organ in the region of the control drawbars;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged top plan view of an index card having one form of selector configuration thereon and serving as the master selector control of the selector mechanism of the organ in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a section of the index card taken on lines 4--4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic view of the drawbar selector system with its wiring circuit showing the basic mechanism for resetting a control drawbar into initial position in preparation for subsequent selection and for selecting thereafter the drawbar and positioning it in accordance with the selector configuration on the card index of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged sectional detail perspective of part of the drawbar selector mechanism shown in connection with a pair of control drawbars;

FIG. 6a is a sectional detail perspective somewhat diagrammatic of a conventional tonal effect generator controlled from a control drawbar and constituting a continuation of FIG. 6 in the juncture plane A-A;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged detail section part of the control drawbar selector mechanism taken on lines 7-7 of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a diagrammatic view of the tablet selector with its wiring circuit showing the basic mechanism for resetting a control tablet into initial position in preparation for subsequent selection and for thereafter selecting the tablet in accordance with the selector configuration on the index card of FIG. 3;

FIG. 9 is a diagrammatic view of the drawbar selector part of a composite or integral selector system incorpo- 3 rating the basic mechanisms of FIGS. 5 and 8 and shows the tie-up between the controls for the different control drawbars and tablets;

FIG. 9a constituting a continuation of FIG. 9 is a diagrammatic view of the tablet selector part of the composite or integrated selector system incorporating the basic mechanism of FIGS. 5 and 8 and shows the tieup between the controls for the different control drawbars and tablets; and

FIG. 10 is a perspective of an alternate form of index card having another form of selector configuration thereon.

Referring to the drawings and particularly to FIG. 1, there is shown the console of an electric organ to which the invention may be applied. For purposes of illustration, the present invention is shown in conjunction with an electric organ of the Hammond type, but may be applied to an organ of any type having tonal control stops or elements.

'On the organ is shown an upper set -10 of keys, known as the upper manna and played with the right hand and a lower set 11 of keys, known as the lower manual for the accompaniment and counter-melody and played with the left hand.

At the top right hand corner of the organ above the upper manual 10 is a manual switch 12, which is normally in off position when the organ is inactive and electrically shut off and which is actuated into on position when the organ is to be played.

On the control panel 13 of the organ to the left of the upper manual 10 are a series of tonal control stops or elements 14 (FIGS. 1 and 2) shown in the form of drawbarsterminating in manual knobs 15 (FIGS. 1, 2 and 6). Each of these tonal control drawbars 14 has position numbers indicated thereon and shown ranging from 1 to 8 inclusive, as shown in FIG. 2. By moving the drawbars 14 endwise into any position, it is possible to reproduce any tone color desired.

Seventeen control drawbars 14 are shown for purposes of illustration to correspond to the number of drawbars on a conventional type or make of organ, but the number may vary according to the type or make of organ. The first seven drawbars -14, for example, may be the harmonic drawbars, which set up tone colors for the lower manual 11. The next control drawbar 14 may control the volume of the pedals. Finally, there is a set of nine harmonic drawbars which set up tone colors for the upper manual 10-.

Many different tones may be created by making arrangements of the harmonic drawbars 1-4 controlling each manual.

Above the upper manual 10 of the organ are a series of tonal control stops or elements 16 (FIG. 1) shown in the form of tablets tiltable from an off raised position downwardly into an on position. These tablets 16 allow adding expression and variety of color to the music played and are shown in the specific embodiment illustrated, totaling sixteen, and arranged into six groups.

The first group of two tablets 16 represents the Lower Presets, and the next group of four tablets 16 represent the Upper Presets. The first tablet 1-6 in each of these two groups, when depressed, renders the tones set up on the drawbars 14 effective for the corresponding upper manual 10 or lower manual -11. The second tablet 16 in the first group may be an Ensemble control tablet producing an accompaniment tone which is a combination of strings and orchestral tones. The second, third and fourth tablets 16 in the second group may produce socalled Trumpet, Clarinet and Full Organ sound effects respectively when depressed into on position.

The third group of four control tablets 16 control the percussion tones available on the upper manual 10 and when depressed produce sound effects like harp, chimes, orchestral bells, celeste, xylophone, marimba and many more percussion sounds.

The fourth group of three control tablets 1'6 control the degree of vibrato on both manuals.

The fifth group of two control tablets 16- provide the correct amount of reverberation and these tablets are employed separately or in combination to give three degrees of reverberation to compensate for the deadening effect of the acoustic treatment of the room in which the organ is played.

The last control tablet 16 is a volume control.

The organ with its controls so far described, is of known type and is described as an illustration of a type or make of organ to which the present invention can be employed, but it must be understood that as far as certain aspects of the invention are concerned, the invention can be applied to the control of any type of organ having tonal control stops or elements.

As a feature of the present invention, the control panel 13 of the organ is provided with a receptacle 17 shown in the form of a recess for a preselector index card 18, and carries a reset switch actuating member 20, which when manually operated brings all of the control drawbars 14 into initial 0 (zero) position and raises the control tablets 16 from depressed on" position to off position to set up these controls for preselection.

The preselector index card 18 (FIGS. 3 and 4) is especially prepared for a corresponding piece of music and is made of any rigid material, such as plastic or metal, and has a pattern of selector configurations 21 thereon for actuating electric circuit control elements 22 (FIG. 5) for the drawbars 14 shown in the form. of switches, and a pattern of selector configurations 23 (FIG. 3) for actuating electric circuit control elements 24 (FIG. 8) for the tablets 16 also shown in the form of switches. The index card 18 may be attached to a sheet of music to be sold, as for example, in a pocket or envelope attached to said sheet of music to permit its easy removal therefrom, and corresponds in its patterns selector configurations 21 and 23 to the desirable or suitable control setting for the piece of music imprinted on said sheet.

In the specific embodiments shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the selector configurations 21 and 23 constitute small protuberances, each formed, for example, by making parallel slits in the index card 18 and pressing the material between the slits out of the plane of the card. The index card 18 has a row of designations 26 near the front of the card ranging from 1 to 17 corresponding to the number of control drawbars 14 and a row of designations 27 on the adjacent side of the card ranging from 1 to 8 corresponding to the number of possible selection positions of the drawbars aside from the 0' (zero) inactive position. The protuberances 21 may be located in any coordinate position along the row of designations 26 corresponding to the drawbar 14 to be selected and along the row of designations 27 according to the selected position of the selected drawbar.

The index card 18 also has a row of designations 28 near the front of the card ranging from 1 to 16 corresponding to the number of control tablets 16 and the protuberance 23 for each designation 28 is located in only one position for said designation, where actuation of a selected control tablet in on position is indicated.

The index card 18 may also have a front tab 30 to facilitate handling of the index card into or out of the recess 17 on the organ.

FIGS. 5, 6 and 7 show a wiring diagram and part of the mechanism for the resetting operation and for the positioning of a selected drawbar 14 upon insertion of the index 18 in the recess 17. In the diagram of FIG. 5, the index card 18 is shown in limiting position in the recess 17 with a protuberance 21 on said card located in position to push the first drawbar 1-6 mechanically into number 6 position.

In the circuit of FIG. 5, the drawbar 14 is connected to one end of a switch actuator 35, the other end being connected to one end of the core or plunger 36 of a standard solenoid 37 having a coil 38 and serving as a driver for said drawbar. There would be a solenoid 37 and a switch actuator 35 for each drawbar 14, as shown in FIGS. 5, 6 and 7. The switch actuator 35 is shown in the form of a plate mounted for slide movement and having a series of steps 39 with risers corresponding in number and positions to the possible selected positions 1 to 8 for the drawbar 14. These steps 39 serve to trip in succession into open position eight normally closed spring-pressed switches 40 controlling the positions of the corresponding drawbar 14, as the switch actuator 35 is moved by the solenoid 37.

The resetting circuit shown in FIG. 5 includes a stepdown transformer 42 across a house line 43, which may be connected to a source of alternating current, and a rectifier 44 at the outlet of the transformer to convert the current into direct current. The solenoid coil 38 is connected in series with a reversing double pole switch 45 connected across the output of the rectifier 44 and having contact lever arms 46 and 46a movable in unison into engagement with poles 47d and 47 respectively or with poles 48 and 48a respectively of the switch 45 in accordance with the angular position of the contact arms 46 and 46a. A connector line 49 joins the pole 47 with one end of the solenoid coil 38 and a connector line 50, 51, joins the pole 47d with the other end of the solenoid coil. A connector line 52, 51 having a spring-pressed normally open relay switch 53 therein joins the pole 48a with one end of the solenoid coil 38 and a connector line 54 joins the pole 48 with the other end of the solenoid coil through part of the connector line 49.

The solenoid plunger 36 is moved in resetting direction to the right ('FIG. 5) or in drawbar selecting position to the left according to the direction of the current coursing through the solenoid coil 38, which direction is determined by the position of the reversing switch 45. The rate of movement of the solenoid plunger 36 is controlled by means of a suitable 'dashpot 56 (FIG. 6a), which may comprise a closed air cylinder 57 with a piston rod 58 connected to the solenoid plunger and to a piston 59 in said cylinder having air passages 60 extending therethrough.

In the absence of an index card 18 in the recess 17, the switch 53 (FIG. 5) is open, and the reversing switch 45 is normally spring-pressed in position with its contact arms 46 and 46a in engagement with the poles 48 and 48a respectively. Under these normal conditions, the solenoid coil 38 is deenergized and the solenoid plunger 36 is in the axial position determined by the last setting of the control drawbar 14 associated therewith.

For moving the switch 45 from normal position in which its contact arms 46 and 46a engage the poles 48 and 48a respectively into position in which its contact arms engage the poles 47d and 47 respectively, to thereby reset the control drawbars 14 into initial 0 (zero) position in preparation for selection, there is provided the reset switch actuating member 20, shown in the form of a spring-pressed button. When this button 20 is manually pressed against the action of a spring 65, the reversing switch 45 is moved into position to cause its contact arms 46 and 46a to engage the poles 47d and 47. In this position of the reversing switch 45, the solenoid 37 will be energized under polarized conditions to move the plunger 36 to the right as far as it will go, and thereby to move the corresponding control drawbar 14 to the right to the 0 (zero) position. Upon release of the button 20, the switch 45 will return under the action of the spring 65 into position in which the contact arms 46 and 46a of the reversing switch 45 engage the poles 48 and 48a respectively. 7

The relay switch 53 which conditions the selector and resetting circuits for operation is actuated from a solenoid 66 having a spring-pressed plunger 67 and a coil 68 in series with a normally open spring-pressed target switch 69 in the path of movement of the rear edge of the index card 18 in limiting operative position of said card in the recess 17, and closed by said rear card edge in said position. This relay coil 68 is in a loop circuit, which may include a step-down transformer 70 connected across a house line 71 supplying alternating current and a rectifier 72 for converting the current to direct current, if such is required. The loop circuit of the relay coil 68 also contains in series therewith and with the switch 69 the normally open card operated spring-pressed switch 22 in position to be engaged by the protuberance 21 on the index card 18 and to close said switch when the card is in its limiting position in the recess 17, and the normally closed corresponding switch 40 in position to be engaged by a corresponding step 39 on the switch actuator 35. There are eight card-actuated normally open spring-pressed switches 22 for each control drawbar 14 spaced along each position row of the index card 18, only one, if any, being closed by a corresponding card protuberance 21, and eight corresponding spaced normally closed switches 40 in the path of the steps 39 on the actuator 35 of the corresponding control drawbar 14. Each card actuated switch 22 is connected in series with the corresponding switch 40 in a circuit loop, the eight loops being connected together in parallel and all being connected in series with the relay coil 68 actuating the switch 53, as shown in FIG. 9.

In FIG. 5, the eight switches 22 for the corresponding control tablet 14 are shown somewhat mechanically only to clarify description but in actual practice these may be of any well-known construction. These switches 22 would be small almost in the nature of microswitches, and might be of the conventional easily available type operable to close upon pressing contact of a protuberance 21 on the index card 18 thereagainst, and spring-pressed back into open condition when this contact is removed or is absent. These eight switches 22 are shown connected together to a grounded single bus bar or connector line 74; the electrical connection of one of the contacts or poles of each switch 22 to this bus bar or line 74 is maintained both in open and closed position of the switch.

The eight normally closed spring-pressed switches 40 for each switch actuator 35 of each control drawbar 14, are shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 spaced across the path of movement of the actuator in a row and opposite the risers of the steps 39 respectively on said switch actuator in position to be opened successively by said risers respectively as the switch actuator is moved towards the left by a selecting operation. The spacing between successive step risers would correspond to the distance between successive selected positions of the drawbar 14. As an alternative, the switches 40 may also be arranged in echelon or stepwise formation where this spacing is less than the distance between successive selected positions of the drawbar 14, as shown in somewhat exaggerated form in FIG. 9 to facilitate illustration. As a further alternative, the switch actuator 35, instead of presenting a stepped forward edge, could present a straight forward switch tripping edge, while the switches are arranged in stepwise formation in position to be tripped successively by said edge as the switch actuator is moved towards the left, in which case, the distance between successive switches 40 along the direction of travel of the switch actuator would correspond to the distance between successive settings of the drawbars.

There are two target switches 69 arranged in series with each other and with the relay coil 68 and spaced specific form shown in FIG. 5, there is provided for that purpose a fixed upstanding wall 75 across the rear end of the recess 17 carrying the two fixed contacts 76 of the two target switches 69 interconnected by a bus bar or line (FIG. 9) and two yieldable contact fingers 77 normally spring-pressed away from said fixed contacts respectively and in the path of the rear edge of the index card 18. When the index card 18 is pushed inwardly in the recess 17, the rear edge of the card engaging the contact fingers 77 of the switches 69 push said fingers against the action of the springs into contact with the fixed contacts 76 respectively of said switches, thereby closing said switches and at the same time stopping said index card in the proper place for registration of its settings on the drawbar control switches 22 and the tablet control switches 24.

In the operation of the selector mechanism 30 far described, it is assumed that the control drawbars 14 are in position from a previous setting and that no index card 18 is in the recess 17. In this normal condition of the organ, the reversing switch 45 is in position to contact the poles 48 and 48a, the switches 53, 69 and 22 are open and the switches 40 are closed, except the one engaged by that step 39 of the switch actuator 35 corresponding to the previous setting of the corresponding control drawbar 14. With the organ in this condition, the resetting button 20 is pushed to move the contact arms 46 and 46a of the reversing switch 45 into contact with the poles 47d and 47, this operation closing the circuit of the solenoid coil 38 and causing the current to flow therethrough in a direction to move the plunger 36 towards the right and the switch actuator 35 and the control drawbar 14 in the same direction. The manual pressure on the button 20 is maintained until the drawbar 14 reaches the limit of its inward stopped position, which is its (zero) position. The pushing of the resetting button 20 as described, resets all of the drawbars 14 in their initital or 0 (zero) position and in proper condition for card selection.

With the drawbars 14 reset, and the control tablets 16, also reset in off position in a manner to be described, the index card 18 is inserted in the recess 17 and pushed therein to the limiting position and kept there by manual pressure against the action of the springs acting on the switches 69. In this position of the index card 18, the rear edge of the card will close the switches 69, and the protuberance 21 on a drawbar position row of the index card will close the circuit of the solenoid coil 38 through the this will close the circuit of the relay solenoid coil 68 through the switches 69, the switch 22 and the closed switch 40 in series with the closed switch 22, thereby energizing said coil and closing the relay switch 53. This will close the circuit of the solenoid coil 38 through the poles 48 and 48a of the reversing switch 45 and the closed switch 53, thereby energizing the solenoid coil 38 through current coursing in a direction to move the solenoid plunger 38 to the left under the control delaying action of the dashpot 56 (FIG. 6a). This moves the switch actuator 35 and the drawbar 14 towards the left. As the switch actuator 35 moves towards the left, the steps 39 thereon open in succession the switches 40 until the closed switch 40 is reached in series with the switch 22 which has been closed by the protuberance 21 on the index card 18. This opens the switch 40 in series with the closed switch 22 and thereby opens the circuit of the relay solenoid coil 68. This causes the spring-pressed switch 53 to open under the action of its spring, thereby immobilizing the solenoid plunger 36. In this position of the solenoid plunger 36, the drawbar 14 will be in the specific set position indicated by the pattern of the index card 18, and the solenoids 37 and 66 will be deenergized, until the next selecting operation is initiated.

In FIGS. and 9, the first drawbar 14 is shown set in position 6 by the index card 18 having a switch closing protuberance 21 in position 6 in the first row corresponding to the first drawbar.

The mechanisms for resetting the control tablets 16 in preparation for index card selection and for selecting the tablets to be moved into on position are similar to but simpler than those for resetting and selecting the control drawbars 14. FIG. 8 shows a simplified basic circuit for a single control tablet 16 and FIGS. 9 and 9a shows this circuit integrated into the overall resetting and selecting circuit of the organ.

Referring to FIG. 8, the resetting circuit for the control tablet 16 comprises the step-down transformer 42, rectifier 44 at the outlet of the transformer, the double-pole reversing switch 45 with poles 47, 48 and 48a and additional pole 47t', and resetting button 20 employed in the resetting circuit of the control drawbars 14. The control tablet 16 is connected to a plunger of a solenoid 81 serving as a driver for the control tablet 16 and having a coil 82 energized from the outlet of the rectifier 44. Connected in series with the solenoid coil 82 is the switch 45. A connector line 83 and part of the connector 49 joins the pole 47 with one end of the solenoid 82 and a connector line 84 joins the pole 472" with the other end of the solenoid coil. Part of the connector line 52, a connector line 85 having a spring-pressed normally open relay switch 86 therein, and part of the connector line 84 joins the pole 48a with one end of the solenoid coil 82 and the connector line 54, part of the connector line 49 and the connector line 83 joins the pole 48 with the other end of the solenoid coil.

The control tablet 16 has a pivot support 90 and is actuated from the solenoid plunger 80 through an arm 91 connected to said tablet at one side of said pivot support. The solenoid plunger 80 is moved in downward resetting direction (FIG. 8) to raise the forward end of the control tablet 16 upwardly in off position or is moved upwardly in position to depress the tablet into on position, the direction of movement of the plunger depending on the direction of current coursing through the solenoid coil 82. The rate of movement of the solenoid plunger 80 may be controlled by means of a dashpot 93 similar to the dashpot 56 for controlling the solenoid plunger 36, but since the control tablet 16 moves into only one of two positions, the dashpot 93 may be eliminated and friction or other means may be employed to reduce shock on the tablets.

In the absence of an index card 18 in the recess 17, the relay switch 86 is open, and the reversing switch 45 is normally in position with its contact arms 46 and 46a in engagement with the poles 48'and 48a. Under these conditions, the solenoid coil 82 is deenergized and the solenoid plunger 80 is in axial position determined by the last setting of the control tablet 16 associated therewith. The solenoid plunger 82, if vertical, may be under friction control to maintain it in whatever one of its two positions it is moved to in the absence of energization of its coil 82, or the solenoid 81 may be horizontal with a suitable linkage between the plunger 80 and the control tablet 16, to move the tablet in on or off position, according to the directions of horizontal movements of the plunger, in which case no such friction or similar control is required.

The resetting of the control tablet 16 into raised off position shown in dot and dash line in FIG. 8, is accomplished by pressing the button 20 against the action of its spring 65, so as to move the contact arms 46 and 46a of the switch 45 in engagement with the poles 471i and 47. In this position of the reversing switch 45, the solenoid 81 will be energized under polarized conditions to move the plunger 80 downwardly and to raise the forward end of the control tablet 16 upwardly into 011 dot and dash line position shown. Upon release of the button 20, the switch 45 will return under the action of the spring 65 into position in which the contact arms 46 and 46a of the switch engage the poles 48 and 48a.

The relay switch 86 conditions the selector and resetting circuits for operation and is actuated from a solenoid having a spring-pressed plunger 101 and a coil 102 in series with the normally open spring-pressed switches 69 in the path of movement of the rear edge of the index card 18 in limiting operative position of said card in the recess 17, and closed by said rear card edge in said position. This relay coil 102 is in a loop circuit which includes the step-down transformer 70 connected across the house line 71 supplying current and the rectifier 72 for converting the current to direct current, if such is required. The loop circuit of the relay coil 102 also contains in series therewith and with the target switches 69, the.;.normally open card actuated switch 24 in position to be engaged by the protuberance 23 on the index card 18 and to be closed by said protuberance when the card is in its limiting operative position in the recess 17, and a normally closed corresponding spring-pressed switch 104 in positions to be opened by the action of the solenoid 81 when setting of the corresponding tablet 16 into on? position is indicated. The switch 104 is opened against the action of its spring by an ofiset or cam 105 on the arm 91 adapted to trip said switch open as the plunger 80 of the energized solenoid 82 is moved upwardly.

In the operation of the selector mechanism for the control tablets 16, it is assumed that at least some of the tablets are in on position from a previous setting and that no index card 18 is in the recess 17. In this normal condition of the organ, the reversing switch 45 is in position to contact the poles 48 and 48a, the switches 69, 86 and 24 are open and the switch 104 is closed. With the organ in this position, the resetting button 20 is pushed to move the contact arms 46 and 46a of the reversing switch 45 into contact with the poles 47t and 47, this operation not only resetting the control drawbars 14 through the contact 47d as previously described but also closingthe circuit of the solenoid coil 82 and causing the current to flow therethrough in a direction to move the plunger 80 downwardly and the forward section of the control tablet 16 upwardly in the off position. The pushing of the resetting button 20 as described, resets all of the tablets 16 in o position in proper condition for card selection.

With the drawbars 14 reset in position and the tablets 16 reset in 01f position by the operation de' scribed, the index card 18 is inserted in the recess 17 and pushed therein to limiting operative position as described. In this position of the index card 18, the rear edge of the card will close the target switches 69 and the protuberance 23 on the index card will close the corresponding switch 24, and this will close the circuit of the relay solenoid coil 102 through the switches 69, the switch 24 and the switch 104 in series therewith, thereby energizing said coil and closing the relay switch 86. This will close the circuit of the solenoid coil 82 through the poles 48 and 48a of the reversing switch 45 and the closed switch 86, thereby energizing the solenoid coil 82 through current coursing in a direction to move the solenoid plunger 80 upwardly. This moves the forward section of the control tablet 16 downwardly in on position and will at the same time open the switch 104, thereby opening the circuit of the relay coil 102 and causing the switch 86 to open. The opening of the switch 86 opens the circuit of the solenoid coil 82. The control tablet 16 will remain in on position until reset and reselected for the next piece of music, or until manually returned to ofi position, if such is desired during the playing of a piece of music.

Since the springs acting on the switches 69 push against the index card 18 tending to open said switches, it is necessary to maintain manual pressure edgewise against the cards to maintain said switches closed, until the selections and settings of the control drawbars 14 and tablets 16 are completed, whereupon manual pressure against the card can be released. This release of manual pressure on the index card 18 will permit said card to move outwardly from the recess 17 sufliciently to open the switches 69 against the action of their springs, and this will deenergize the electrical selector control systems described.

After the automatic selection and setting of the control drawbars 14 and 16 have been made as described, and after the switches 69 have been automatically opened by the release of manual pressure on the index card 18, it is possible to manually reset any drawbar or drawbars or any tablet or tablets in the usual way without interfering with the setting of the other drawbars and tablets and without removing the index card from the recess 17. This manual control superposed on the automatically effected controls may be desirable to interpose tonal variations in the piece being played without disturbing the general or basic pattern of tonal effects automatically set at the beginning of the piece by means of the index card.

The tone generators and the tonal function controls accomplished by the settings of the different control drawbars 14 and the control tablets 16, per se, form no part of the present invention and may be accomplished in any suitable manner. For example, in FIG. 6a, there is shown such a tone generator 110, which may comprise a constant speed wheel 111 for generating sound vibrations, and a tuning fork 112 connected to a stem movable with the solenoid plunger 36 relative to the wheel, so that the position of this tuning fork will accord with the setting of the corresponding control drawbar 14 to generate a corresponding tone.

A suitable tonal function control 113 (FIG. 8) may be similarly operated in on position of a tablet 16, as shown in FIG. 8.

FIGS. 9 and 9a conjointly show the basic circuits of FIGS. 5 and 8 integrated for the first two control drawbars 14 and for the first two control tablets 16 into a composite circuit; the tie-up of the circuits for all of the drawbars and tablets is obvious from this composite circuit. It is seen from this composite circuit that there is required only one reversing switch 45, one resetting button 20 for operating said switch, a solenoid 37 for driving each drawbar 14, a relay solenoid 66 for each drawbar, a solenoid 81 for driving each tablet 16 and a relay solenoid 100 for each tablet.

Also, it should be noted that once the necessary selection and setting of the drawbars 14 and tablets 16 have been made by the insertion of the selector index card 18 in the recess 17, and the switches 69 have been opened by the release of edgewise manual pressure on the index card, the resetting and selecting circuits are all deenergized until the next resetting and selecting operations are initiated.

In the composite or integrated circuits of FIGS. 9 and 9a, FIG. 9a is joined to FIG. 9 along the connector line points a, b, c, d and e, so that by joining the two figures at these points, the composite circuits are formed.

-In the composite circuit of FIGS; 9 and 9a, the driver solenoids 37 for the drawbars 1'4 and the driver solenoids 81 for the tablets 16 are connected in parallel across the reversing switch 45. With such parallel connection, in order to prevent the relay switches 53 and 86, controlling the selections of those drawbars 14 and/or tablets 16 which are not scheduled for selection on the index card 18 in the recess 17, from being shunted or short-circuited, and to prevent thereby such unscheduled selection and setting of these drawbars and tablets, the contact lever arm 46 of said switch has a gang of contact point-s marked 1, 2, one for each drawbar 1'4, and a gang of contact points marked 1, 2', one for each tablet 16. Although there are shown only two contacts points 1, 2, and only two contact points 1', 2 to conform to the first two drawbars 14 and to the first two tablets 16 shown in FIGS. 9 and actually there would be seventeen contact points 1, 2, for the seventeen drawbars and sixteen contact points 1, 2, for the sixteen tablets, to agree with the specific embodiment of the invention illustrated. For cooperation with the contact points 1, 2, and contact points 1, 2, on the contact arm 46 of the switch 45, there are provided poles 47d, 47d", having respective connector lines 50, 50', for connection to the driver solenoids 37 of the drawbars 1 4 respectively and poles 47t', 47", having respective connector lines 84, 84', for connection to the driver solenoids 81 of the tablets 16 respectively.

In the circuits of FIGS. 9 and 9a, the first drawbar 14 is shown set 'for position 6, the second d-rawbar is shown set for position 5, the first tablet 16 is shown set in on position and the second tablet 16 is shown set in oil position.

Summarizing the overall operation, upon pushing the button 20 inwardly, the switch 45 will close contact with poles 47d, 47d, 47t', 47t", and pole 47 simultaneously and will close thereby the circuits of all of the solenoid coils 38 and the solenoid coils 82, to cause the drawbars 14 and tablets 16 set for a previous playing session to be reset. With all of the drawbars 14 reset in (zero) position and all of the tablets 16 reset in off position, and with the switch 45 restored to normal position in which contacts are reestablished with poles 48 and 48a, the index card 18 is pushed into the recess 17 into limiting position to close relay switches 69. This will close the circuits through the switches 69 and through those drawbar switches 22 and tablet switches 24 which have been closed by the selector prot-uberances 21 and 23 on the index card 18, thereby moving the selected drawbars 14 in selected position by means of the corresponding driver solenoids 38 and moving the selected tablet 16 in on position by means of the corresponding driver solenoids 81.

In the embodiment of the invention so far described, the selector index card 18 is illustrated with selector coniigurations in the form of protuberances 21 and 23 for actuating electric circuit control elements 22 and 24 shown in the term of switches. However, as far as certain aspects of the present invention are concerned, the selector configurations can take other forms. For example, as shown in FIG. 10, the selector configurations in the index card 18a may take the form of openings 21a ior selection of the drawbars 1'4 and similar openings (not shown) for selection of the tablets 16. With such a perforated index card, either direct mechanical switches may be employed for control elements as shown in the embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIGS. 1-9a, or pneumatically, magnetically or 'photoelectr-ically controlled circuitry could be employed to select the drawbars 14 and tablets 16. Also, as far as certain aspects of the invention are concerned, the index card may take other forms. For example, the index card may be magnetized in selected sections to adapt it for operation with magnetically controlled circuitry or may be made transparent at selected sections, either by perforations as shown in FIG. 10 or by masking or other means for operation with photoelectric circuitry or other optical responsive mechanisms.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination, an organ having a set of playing keys, a series of tonal control stops, each movable from inactive position into two or more active positions, means responsive to the setting of any one of said stops into any one of said active positions for reproducing a musical not corresponding to the key played but of a quality corresponding to the settings of said stops, means [for moving each of said stops from inactive position into any one of said active positions, and electric circuit means for controllng said stop moving means and operable when said circuit means is energized for operating said stop moving means and for moving thereby selected stops into selected one of said active positions, said circuit means including switch means for controlling the energizaton of sad circuit means and for determining thereby the selected stop and the selected position into which the selected stop is moved, a master control record having stop and position selector configurations thereon :for actuating selected switch means on said circuit means, and means on said organ for receiving said control record in predetermined position to actuate selected switch means 'on said electric circuit means to eifect automatic selection and positioning of the stops in accordance with said configurations.

2. The combination as described in claim 1, said stops consisting of drawbars movable lengthwise into any one of said positions.

3. The combination as described in claim 2, said organ including a series of tonal control tablets tiltable into on and off positions, means for moving each of said tablets into on and off positions, and electric circuit means for controlling said tablet moving means and for moving thereby the corresponding tablet into its on position when the latter circuit means are energized and including switch means for controlling the energization of the latter circuit means and for selecting thereby the stop to be moved, said master control record having tablet selector configurations for actuating selected switch means in the latter circuit means when said record is in said predetermined position to effect automatic movement of selected tablets into on positions.

4. In combination, an organ having stops for controlling tonal efiects, means for moving each of said stops into selected positions, electric circuit means for controlling the operation of each of said stop moving means, said electric circuit means including stop and position selector switches, a master control record having switch operating stop and position selector configurations thereon, means on said organ for receiving said control record in predetermined position to actuate selected switches by its configurations and thereby to move selected stops into selected positions, said circuit means including a master switch opening all of said circuit means when said master switch is in open position, said master switch being in position to be closed by said rec- 45 0rd when said record is in predetermined position, said record being retained in staid predetermined position as long as manual pressure is maintained on said control record, spring means for moving said control record out of said predetermined position automatically upon release of manual pressure thereon, and means automatically operable upon the movement of said record out of said predetermined position for opening said master switch and thereby for rendering said circuit means inoperative, while selected stops are retained in selected positions.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,172,939 3/1965 Campbell s4 -34s 3,213,179 10/196 5 Clauson 234-345 FOREIGN PATENTS 93,235 1/1937 Germany,

mg UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3, 9,995 Dated June 7 9 9 Inventor(s) Oscarw. Sepg, Jr.

It is certified that error appears in the above identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

In the specification, column 7, line 47, should read this will close the corresponding switch 22 over said row, and

In the claim 1., column 11, line 6 4, "not" should read note SIGNED AND SEALED NOV 181959 (SEAL) Attest:

Edward M. Fletch J WILLIAM E. S CIHUYLER, JR.

Attesting Officer sioner of Patents 

